Learning management system

Abstract

A learning management system (LMS) for assisting a student to prepare for an examination based on time-estimates is presented. The LMS receives inputs from the students about available time to study. The study plan includes an estimation of time needed to complete the entire syllabus of the examination. The LMS includes a record of time-estimates needed to complete the study material and maintain a study plan. In addition, the LMS maintain a difficulty-level estimates for each of the study materials as well as the proficiency level of the students. The LMS is adapted to generate a study plan for the student and adaptively update the study plan.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for providing a customized study content to a student, the method comprising:
 providing an LMS for maintaining a record of a content proposal, wherein the content proposal comprises at least one of a plurality of study materials and a plurality of assessment questions;   determining, with the LMS, a plurality of content-related-estimates, wherein the plurality of content-related-estimates comprise at least one of a difficulty level-estimate and a study time-estimate for the content proposal;   determining, with the LMS, a plurality of user-related-estimates, wherein the plurality of user-related-estimates comprises at least one of a proficiency level-estimate and an available time-estimate for the student;   determining a selected portion of the content proposal as the customized study content for the student; and   adaptively adjusting at least one of the plurality of content-related-estimates and the plurality of user-related-estimates.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selected portion of the content proposal are selected as the customized study content for the student if the study time-estimate of the selected portion of the content proposal is less than the available time-estimate. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adaptively adjusting at least one of the difficulty level-estimate and the study time-estimate of the plurality of study materials. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 a first content of the content proposal is provided to a group of students, wherein the first content comprises a first content assessment question;   a first number of the group of students, who have lower proficiency level-estimates compared to the difficulty level-estimate of the first content, answer correctly the first content assessment question; and   the difficulty level-estimate of the first content is adjusted lower, when the first number is more than a first predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 a second content of the content proposal is provided to a group of students, wherein the second content comprises a second content assessment question;   a second number of the group of students, who have higher proficiency level-estimates compared to the difficulty level-estimate of the second content, answer incorrectly the second content assessment question; and   the difficulty level-estimate of the second content is adjusted higher when the second number is higher than a second predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 a third content of the plurality of study materials is provided to a group of students; and   the study time-estimate is adjusted when more than a predetermined percentage of the group of students completed faster or slower than the study time-estimate of the third content by a predetermined margin.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adaptively adjusting at least one of the proficiency level-estimate and the available time-estimate of the student. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the proficiency level-estimate is adjusted higher when the student answers correctly a predetermined amount of questions with a difficulty level-estimate higher than the proficiency level-estimate of the student. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising collecting a health-related information about the student; and adjusting the available time-estimate for the student based on the health-related information. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a practice test paper selected from the customized study content, wherein:
 a first predetermined portion of the practice test paper is selected such that the difficulty level-estimate of the first predetermined portion of the practice test paper is higher than the proficiency level-estimate of the student; and   a second predetermined portion of the practice test paper is selected such that the difficulty level-estimate of the first predetermined portion of the practice test paper is lower than the proficiency level-estimate of the student.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a ratio of the first predetermined portion and the second predetermined portion is adjusted in accordance with a personality input about the student that is related to self-esteem of the student. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a substantial portion of the practice test paper is selected such that the proficiency level-estimate of the student is substantially equal to the difficulty level-estimate of the substantial portion of the practice test paper. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first predetermined portion and the second predetermined portion are adaptively selected such that the student scores in a range of 50%-80% in the practice test paper. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 obtaining an anxiety level information of the student; and   selecting, by using the LMS, the first predetermined portion and the second predetermined portion in accordance with the anxiety level information.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 providing a progress projection; and   generating an actual progress information based on a percentage of the customized study content completed by the student,   wherein a ratio composition of the first predetermined portion and the second predetermined portion is adjusted based on a comparison between the progress projection and the actual progress information.   
     
     
         16 . A learning management system (LMS) for providing a customized study content to a student, the LMS comprising:
 at least one processor; and   computer memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the computer memory comprises instructions that are executable by the at least one processor, and wherein the instructions comprise:
 a content proposal record, wherein the content proposal record comprises at least one of a plurality of study materials and a plurality of assessment questions; 
 a content admin component configured to determine a plurality of content-related-estimates for the content proposal record, wherein the plurality of content-related-estimates comprise at least one of a difficulty level-estimate and a study time-estimate; 
 a user management component configured to determine a plurality of user-related-estimates for the student, wherein the plurality of user-related-estimates comprises at least one of a proficiency level-estimate and an available time-estimate for the student; and 
 a study plan admin component configured to determine a selected portion of the content proposal record as the customized study content for the student, wherein at least one of the plurality of content-related-estimates and the plurality of user-related-estimates are configured to be adaptively adjusted through one of the content admin component and the user management component respectively. 
   
     
     
         17 . The LMS of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions further comprise a welfare management component configured to collect a health-related information, and wherein the user management component is configured to adjust the available time-estimate for the student based on the health-related information. 
     
     
         18 . The LMS of  claim 17 , wherein the welfare management component is coupled to a pulse rate tracking device that tracks the pulse rate of the student, and the welfare management component is configured to determine whether the student is in an anxious state based on the pulse rate. 
     
     
         19 . The LMS of  claim 17 , wherein the welfare management component is configured to receive a confidence-level-input about the student from a coach or a tutor of the student, and wherein the instructions further comprises an assessment test management component configured to generate an assessment test for the student, and wherein the assessment test has a difficulty level that correlates with the confidence-level-input. 
     
     
         20 . A method for managing learning of a student, comprising:
 receiving user inputs related to the learning, the user inputs including one or more subjects that is targeted by the student, one or more study materials related to the one or more subjects, a targeted learning period and an available study time;   generating a study plan comprising an estimation of identified study material and an estimation of time needed to complete the identified study material, wherein the identified study material comprises a subset of the one or more study materials;   receiving further user inputs related to a progress of the learning, the further user inputs including portions of the one or more study materials completed by the student;   identifying an outstanding content portion of the one or more study materials based on the further user inputs;   computing an estimation of time needed to complete the outstanding content portion for feasibility check;   computing a remaining time that corresponds to an amount of time remaining towards an end date of the targeted learning period; and   adaptively performing a feasibility check based on the remaining time and the estimation of time needed to complete the outstanding content portion.